People don’t talk about it, but July is actually one of the best months to bake. The market is overflowing with fruit that shines in everything from cobbler to shortcakes, plus there are opportunities to bake on the grill or enjoy childhood favorites outdoors. Here’s what you should bake (or in some cases, freeze!) this month.

The best part of a s’more is the gooey, toasted marshmallow. Just think — without it, you’d have a sad pile of graham crackers and unmelted chocolate. But add a roasted marshmallow — with its slight smokiness and a caramelized exterior that gives way to molten marshmallow goo — and suddenly this campfire dessert becomes more than the sum of its parts. Naturally, then, any s’mores-inspired dessert must include a toasted marshmallow, like our new S’mores Icebox Cake.

Most old-fashioned recipes call for sifting flour and other dry ingredients when baking, but many modern recipes skip this step. Do you really need to sift flour? Occasionally — but for the most part, not anymore.

In this article:  Choose the right gluten-free flour Stock the rest of your gluten-free pantryWhat is xanthan gum, and when do I need it?Pick a well-tested gluten-free recipeThe post Gluten-free baking: a beginner’s guide: From the flour you choose to the recipe you bake, here’s your gluten-free baking guide. appeared first on the King Arthur Blog. Continue reading at the publisher's website.

Did you know that King Arthur has an entire YouTube channel full of baking videos to show you how to make everything from baguettes to birthday cake?

You've made the perfect pizza dough, shaped it beautifully, and chosen your cheese and sauce. Now it's time for toppings: You can just dump whatever sounds tasty on there, right?

The other week, I had a friend staying with me. And it was approximately 11:15 a.m. when I realized: I have nothing to make her for lunch. I was fresh out of bread, the crisper drawer was in a sad state, and a few eggs lingered in their carton.

I’m about to make the case for a thermometer that costs $114.00. 

I know. It’s a lot of money for a thermometer. 

But as the daughter of an engineer who always taught me to buy the very best when it comes to tools, I guarantee you won’t regret spending the money, because this is the best (and last) thermometer you’re ever going to buy. 

When most people hear “scoring,” they think three-pointers, touchdowns, or hat tricks. But bakers? For us, scoring means one thing: bread. From functional cuts that improve the volume and structure of our loaves to decorative choices meant to add beauty, scoring is one of the most impactful steps in bread baking. But is it as simple as a couple quick slashes and you’re done? Not quite. Let’s look at examples of what to do and what to avoid to help master this essential skill.  

The only thing better than cake is more cake. And that’s a mindset pastry chefs and home bakers across the country are embracing with the slab cake.

Essentially a layered sheet cake, slab cakes have been appearing everywhere: at weddings, dinner parties, birthdays, and even family reunions.

If you’ve noticed a surge of purple desserts popping up on menus, dominating social media feeds, and gracing the pages of culinary magazines, you're not alone. From Michelin star tasting menus to specialty grocery stores, it seems ube is everywhere. Having grown up savoring ube halaya at every celebration and requesting an ube birthday cake year after year, the recent explosion of ube's popularity fills me with immense pride. But what exactly is ube, and how can you use it to create your own stunning purple bakes? 

If it is true we eat with our eyes, there are few things more appetizing than the glossy, deeply browned, blistered crust on a loaf of sourdough bread.